A Mere Formality: Taron Margaryan Officially Elected as Yerevan’s Next Mayor

Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) representative Taron Margaryan was officially and unanimously elected by the Armenian capital’s Council of Aldermen as Yerevan’s new mayor today. Margaryan was the only candidate in the elections that took place this afternoon. Since HHK has 35 seats in the Council while Armenia’s second most important governing party, Prosperous Armenia (BHK), has only 17, there was no doubt to today’s election results. As reported by the Epress.am correspondent, the Prosperous Armenia members of the Council of Elders had said ahead of the election they would be backing Taron Margaryan.

Chair of the auditing commission Suren Nersisyan informed the press that HHK parliamentary faction member Ara Minasyan (related to Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan) and BHK member Garegin Gasparyan, both of whom are out of the country, and former Yerevan mayor Gagik Beglaryan did not vote in today’s election.

Note, Taron Margaryan served as deputy mayor during the term of the city’s last two mayors — Gagik Beglaryan and Karen Karapetyan.

Margaryan is the Armenian capital’s 23rd mayor. All the photos of former Yerevan mayors are on display at Yerevan City Hall — save for its most recent mayor, Karen Karapetyan.